Pattern device for circular knitting machines having rotary needle carriers



Sept; 29, 1970 J; MARTINETZ 3,530,686

Filed Jan. 15, 1968 I PATTERN DEVICE FOR CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINESHAVING ROTARY NEEDLE CARRIERS 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Fig.

INVENTORI Johann MARTINETZ BY m 0. Q

ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,530,686 PATTERN DEVICE FOR CIRCULARKNITTING MACHINES HAVING ROTARY NEEDLE CARRIERS Johann Martinetz,Hechingen, Germany, assignor to Mayer & Cie, Tailfingen, Wurttemberg,Germany Filed Jan. 15, 1968, Ser. No. 697,878 Claims priority,application Germany, Mar. 6, 1967, M 73,048 Int. Cl. D04]: 15/78 US. CI.6650 5 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A pattern structure for acircular knitting machine. The machine includes a rotary needle carrierprovided with a plurality of control plates or jacks which control theneedles and which respectively have pattern feet. A plurality ofarmature means respectively coact with the pattern feet to control thepositions of the control plates, and each armature means is supportedfor swinging movement immediate its ends, one end being adapted toengage a pattern foot and the other end carrying a permanent magnetmeans. A plurality of electromagnets respectively coact with thepermanent magnet means, and each electromagnet includes a pair ofopposed pole shoes between which a permanent magnet means is located anda direct current exciting coil which will control the polarity of thepole shoes depending upon the direction of the direct current. In thisway with a single impulse of direct current it is possible to swing anarmature means, and when the pulse of current terminates the permanentmagnet means will maintain the armature means in the position to whichit has been displaced.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION A structure similar to that ofthe instant application is disclosed in US. patent application Ser. No.617,577, filed Feb. 21, 1967, now US. Pat. No. 3,461,690.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to patterndevices for circular knitting machines which have rotary needlecarriers.

In particular, the present invention relates to that type of circularknitting machine where the selection of needles is carried out by meansof electromagnetically actuated control members which, in accordancewith a predetermined pattern, will control the positions of controlplates or jacks which are carried by the rotary needle carrier.

There are known pattern devices for knitting machines where selectionsare carried out in an electromagnetic manner in accordance with apredetermined preselected pattern. With devices of this type, as shown,for example, in German Fat. 43 8,387, there are arranged in the vicinityof the jacks or needle-controlling plates armatures of electromagnetswhich are energized to control the positions of the needle-controllingplates. Constructions of this type have the great disadvantage ofsituating the pattern feet so close to each other that those which arenot to be selected are nevertheless located in the region of stray fluxof the energized electromagnetic structure so that there is the dangerthat control plates adjoining those which are to be selected are alsomoved in an undesirable manner resulting in faulty pattern control ofthe knitting as well as in the possibility of damaging of the controlplates.

In order to avoid this disadvantage with the known Patented Sept. 29,1970 construction, a structure as shown in the above-referred toapplication, has already been provided where the armature of anelectromagnet acts directly as a member for controlling the position ofa control plate, this armature having for this purpose an inclined endsurface on which a pattern foot of a control plate is adapted to ride sothat the control plate will be swung into its guiding groove or trick ofthe rotary needle-carrier so that the pattern foot can be displaced to alocation out of engagement with a knitting cam which otherwise wouldshift the control plate. With this construction each armature requires apair of separate special electromagnets.

The provision of such a pair of separate special electromagnets is of acertain disadvantage in that it requires space to accommodate theseelectromagnets as well as the structure for controlling the same.Furthermore, the electromagnets must be maintained in a condition ofconstant energization for maintaining the armatures in their properpositions. Otherwise the armatures will, for example, as a result ofrebounding, not be capable of remaining stably in the requiredpositions.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is accordingly a primary object of thepresent invention to provide a construction which will avoid the abovedrawbacks.

In particular, it is an object of the invention to greatly improve thestructure as shown in the above application by providing a constructionwhich requires even less space while at the same time having asimplified electrical control structure and reducing the amount ofenergy which is required for operation.

In particular, it is an object of the invention to provide aconstruction where the armatures when displaced will not rebound andinstead will reliably be maintained stably in the positions to whichthey are displaced, without, however, requiring constant energizing ofelectromagnets for this purpose.

In accordance with the present invention these objects are achieved byproviding each armature at its end which is distant from the patternfeet with a permanent magnet structure situated between opposed poleshoes of an electromagnet which is excited in one direction or the otherwith direct current so as to control the polarity of the pole shoes. Asan additional expedient, in order to reduce any tendency for reboundingof the armatures they are supported in accordance with the invention bya structure which eliminates all play in the supporting structure forthe armatures.

The objects of the present invention also include the provision of aconstruction which can be readily adapted to existing machines so thatit is not required to build entirely new machines to have the structureof the present invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS The invention is illustrated by way ofexample in the accompanying drawings which form part of this applicationand in which:

FIG. 1 is a schematic side elevation of a pattern structure of theinvention, showing partly in section structures such as the needlecylinder and electromagnetic structure;

FIG. 2 is a top plan view of the structure of FIG. 1 as seen in thedirection of arrow II of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a sectional view, on an enlarged scale as compared to FIG. 2,taken through an adjustable bearing structure along line III of FIG. 2in the direction of the arrow; and

FIG. 4 is a sectional elevation of another embodiment of a bearingstructure for engaging an end of a shaft means of the invention.

3 PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS CF THE INVENTION The pattern structure which isillustrated in a highly schematic manner in the drawings is used for thepattern selection of cylinder needles of a knitting system of a circularknitting machine. This structure includes, for example, six selectingarmature means 1-6 in the form of swingable armature levers which arerespectively turnable about shafts 7 on which the several levers arefreely turnable without any play. These shafts are supported in ahousing 8 composed of a plurality of plates, for example. Each of theadjusting armature means 1-6 includes an adjusting arm 1a, 1b, 10, etc.which, as shown in FIG. 2, terminates at each arm in an inclined endsurface, shown for the end surface 112 of the arm In, these inclined endsurfaces being adapted to be engaged by the pattern feet 9 of thecontrol plates or jacks 12 which are supported for movement in theguiding grooves or tricks 10 of the rotary needle-carrier means 11.

The several pattern feet 9 of the control plates 12 are arranged, in amanner known with mechanical pattern devices, at different elevations.In the illustrated example, the control plates 12 are arranged in groupsof six wherein in each group the pattern feet are located successivelyat different elevations. Thus, for each group of six successive controlplates 12 there are six pattern feet 9 located successively at differentelevations and a separate armature means, of the several armature means1-6, is provided for a particular one of the pattern feet 9. Thus, thesepattern feet 9 of the successive plates 6 are offset with respect toeach other in a stepwise arrangement so that in an unillustrated planview, which is, however, shown in the above-mentioned application, theseveral pattern feet 9 of each group of six control plates are arrangedalong a helix which extends around the axis of the needle cylinder. Inthis way it is possible to provide a relatively large distance betweensuccessive control plates which are to be controlled by one of thearmature means 1-6. As a result the rapidity with which the armaturemeans must be actuated is reduced, so that the operations of the patterndevice can be carried out with great reliability, which is ofconsiderable significance. Each armature means can be adjusted in theperiod of time required for movement of one pattern foot at oneelevation to the location previously occupied by the next pattern footwhich is at the same elevation and which is six control plates distantfrom the first pattern foot, so that in accordance with the size of thistime interval it is possible to provide relatively large switchingtolerances for the structure which actuates the armature means, and

such a construction also provides relatively large tolerances and thesimplicity of the programming switch structure of the pattern device.

All of the pattern feet respectively have the same width x, and betweena pair of successive pattern feet there is the same elevational distancey as illusrated in FIG. 2 of U.S. Pat. No. 3,461,690. As is shown inFIG. 1, each control plate 12 has a lower butt or foot 13 by means ofwhich it can be swung into the guiding groove or trick 10 of the needlecylinder 11. Normally, each foot 13 will be situated in an outerposition to engage a control cam 14 so that when a foot 13 is in thedotted line position 13' shown in FIG. 1 the cams will coact with thecontrol plates 12 to displace the latter for shifting needles. In thisway when the butts 13 are in the dotted line position 13 the controlplates will participate in the operations and will be displaced throughpredetermined working strokes so that the needles which are respectivelycontrolled by these control plates will be displaced to their operatingpositions.

The positioning of the control plates 12 and thus of their butts 13 isbrought about by way of the swingable amature means 1-6 of the patternstructure. In the position of the part shown in FIG. 1, the swingablearmature means 13, 5 and 6 are in their operating positions where theirpattern-foot engaging arms are in the position for engaging the patternfeet 9 of the corresponding control plates 12 so that these patternplates will be swung into the grooves 10 of the needle cylinder 11 toprevent these particular control plates from participating in theoperations. Thus, in this way the thusdisplaced control plates 12 cannotreach the next operating positions, and the needles which arerespectively controlled thereby remain in the rest positions. Thearmature means 4, however, is illustrated in a rest position where itsadjusting arm 4a is situated beneath the pattern foot 9' which itotherwise would engage, and thus the corresponding control plate 12'will have its pattern foot 9' pass over the arm 4a so as not to bedisplaced thereby. Thus, the control plate 12' which is shown in dottedlines together with its pattern foot 9' remains in its outwardly swungposition so that the control butt 13 of this particular control plate12' along its working stroke to place the needle controlled will beactuated by the cam means and will be displaced thereby in an operatingposition.

FIG. 2 shows in plan view the details of the armature means 1 which hasits adjusting arm 1a situated in an operating position where itsinclined end surface 1b will be engaged by the corresponding patternfoot 9, and of course each sixth pattern foot 9 which is situated at theelevation of the arm 1a will ride along the surface 1!) thereof to beswung inwardly to prevent these particular control plates from enteringinto the knitting operations. This result is achieved because only everysixth control plate has a pattern foot 9 which is situated at theelevation of the inclined end 1b of the armature means 1. For the sakeof simplicity of illustration the control arms of the remaining armaturemeans are not illustrated. The several swingable armature means arepreferably supported for swinging movement about axes which pass throughtheir centers of gravity, respectively, and for this purpose the severalarmature means 1-6 are supported for swinging movement on shafts 7 whichrespectively extend without play through bores of the several armaturemeans. The several armature means 1-6 have arms 10, 2c, etc. which aredirected oppositely to arms 1a, 112, etc. The arms 2c and 3c arefragmentarily illustrated in FIG. 2 and the remaining arms of the lowerarmature means 4-6 are respectively situated beneath the arms 1c-3cshown in FIG. 2.

The arm 10 as shown in FIG. 1 extends between the pole shoes 15a and 15bof an electromagnet 15 which is provided with a direct-current excitingcoil 16, and the remaining control arms of the armature means which arerespectively distant from the pattern feet 9 respectively extended intothe spaces between the opposed pole shoes of identical electromagnets15. These pole shoes 15a and 15b of each electromagnet from the outerends of a U-shaped core of the electromagnet 15, and by way of a screw17 a bracket 18 is fixed to a wall of the housing 8 and carries anelectromagnet 15. As is shown for the armature arm 10, each armaturemeans has at its arm which extends between the pole shoes of theelectromagnet a permanent magnet means which in the illustrated exampleconsists of a pair of permanent magnet plates 19a and 19b of relativelysmall size respectively fixed to opposed faces of the armature arm 10,and of course the remaining armature arms which are respectivelysituated between the pole shoes are also provided with small permanentmagnets 19a and 19b. It will be noted that these permanent magnets arearranged with their north poles directly away from each other and withtheir south poles directed toward each other. Thus, the permanent magnetmeans 19a, 191) has identical poles respectively directed toward thepole shoes 15a and 15b of the permanent magnet means, and theseidentical poles are north poles in the illustrated sample.

In accordance with the particular polarity which is provided at theelectromagnet 15 in accordance with the direction of flow of the directcurrent, as controlled by an unillustrated programming structure whichdoes not form part of the present invention, either the permanent magnet19b will be attracted to the pole shoe 1512, as shown in FIG. 1, or thepermanent magnet 19a will be attracted to the pole shoe 15a. The coil 16is connected to a pair of junctions 20 and 21 whichcan interchangeablybe provided with positive or negative polarity, as indicated in FIG. 1,so that in this way the direction of flow of the direct current and thepolarity of the pole shoes 15a and 1511 can be controlled. It is to benoted that with this construction the armature means will stably remainin the position to which it is displaced. In other words, even after theimpulse of direct current in the coil 16 terminates the armature meanswill remain in the positionto which it has been displaced because of theaction of the permanent magnet means. It will only be displaced to theother position when a direct current impulse of reverse polarity flowsthrough the coil 16.

Of course, the other five armature means 2-6 are controlled in preciselythe same way as the armature means 1 as described above and shown in thedrawings. In order to be able to situate the several electromagnets inan exceedingly small space, they are stacked in three rows as indicatedin FIG. 2 with the arms 10, 20, etc. of the successive armature means1-6 correspondingly offset so as to be respectively situated between thepole shoes of the control magnets. In this way it becomes possible forall of the electromagnets to be situated in extremely small space evenif the height of each electromagnet is greater than the verticaldistance between a pair of successive armature means, this lattervertical distance being approximately equal to the sum of the width x ofeach pattern foot and the distance y in elevation from one pattern footto the next higher or lower pattern foot. It is thus possible within thehousing 8 to situate without difficulty more than six magnets foradditional armature means with these additional electromagnets stackedand offset in a stepwise fashion with respect to each other, so thatwhere more than six armature means are required a correspondingly largernumber of different pattern positions can also be provided withoutdifficulty.

Of course, when the number of pattern positions changes there will alsobe an increase in the distance between the successive control plateswhich are to be regulated by a given armature means, while the patternfeet have the same height and are controlled by a predeterminedswingable armature means, so that for the controlling of the position ofan armature means to displace the latter from one stable end position toanother stable end position, there is provided for a particular rotaryneedle cylinder, which has the successive pattern feet of a given groupof control plates arranged as described above, an additional space andmore time for actuating the armature means. The use of a plurality ofcomponents of the above type is not a serious factor inasmuch as thearmature means are in the form of simple stamped elements which are veryinexpensive to manufacture and the electromagnets themselves areextremely inexpensive and of a small size since they are only requiredto carry an impulse of current for an extremely short time duration andbecause of the balanced support of each armature means it is onlyrequired for each electromagnet to exert an extremely small adjustingforce.

In order to provide an accurate, maintenance-free bearing support forthe several armature means which can automatically adjust itself inresponse to a spring action, and in order at the same time guarantee aquick reversal in the positions of the armature means from one of theend positions to the other end positions where they will be stablymaintained, so as to avoid in this way a rebounding of the permanentmagnet plates 19a and 19b of the armature arms at the pole shoes 15a and15b, the several armature means of the invention are supported forrotary movement in a play-free manner.

For this purpose the shaft 7 of each armature means terminates at itsouter end in a pair of pointed tips 7a, as shown at an enlarged scale inFIGS. 3 and 4. Each of these tips is situated, as shown in FIGS. 2 and3, in a bearing cap 23 provided with rotary ball bearing members 22, or,as shown in FIG. 4, it is possible to situate each tip 7a in a taperedrecess of a bearing block 24.

One of the cups 23 at one end of each shaft 7 is supported by thesupport means 25 which is shown in FIG. 3, so that it is capable ofaxial shifting movement. This bearing support 25 includes, as shown inFIGS. 2 and 3, a bore 27 formed in a screw 26 which is threaded into athreaded bore of a wall of the housing 8, and the cap 23 is received inthis bore 27 in which it is freely slidable. A compression spring 28 issituated in the bore 27 and urges the cap 23 at one end of the shaft 7toward the opposed end of the shaft 7, and a lock nut 29 is carried bythe screw 26 so that by loosening the lock nut it is possible to adjustthe axial position of the screw 26 and thus adjust the force of thespring 28, Then the lock nut 29 is tightened so as to maintain theadjustment. In this way an adjusting means is provided for adjusting thespring force with which one of the bearing means at one end of the shaft7 is urged toward the other of the bearing means. This constructionprovides a play-free support for each armature means, so that eacharmature means can swing without play.

FIG. 4 illustrates a simpler embodiment for achieving a play-freebearing, and with this construction the bearing block 24 is fixed to aleaf spring 30 which at its end 30a is fixed by rivets 31 to a wall ofthe housing 8 and which at its other end 30b has a convexly curvedsurface freely pressing against the inner surface of'a wall of thehousing 8 so as to provide in this way a prestressing of the leaf springso that there is a constant pressure of the bearing block 24 toward theleft, as viewed in FIG. 4, along the axis of the shaft 7, to urge thelatter at its opposite tip into a stationary bearing block 24corresponding to that shown in FIG. 4.

Thus, with the above-described structure of the invention there is theadvantage of requiring only a single electromagnet for actuating eacharmature means, while each armature means at its permanent magnetportion assumes in a stable manner one of the pair of opposed endpositions in which the permanent magnet portion engages either one orthe other of the pole shoes of the electromagnet. The electromagnet neednot be constantly energized since a single impulse will be sufficient todisplace the armature means which will then reliably remain in theadjusted position as a result of the action of the electromagnet, sothat only a short current impulse is required for adjusting purposes.

As a result of the elimination of the requirement of a constant flow ofcurrent through the electromagnet means of the invention, the coilsthereof can be very small while at the same time they are capable ofbeing excited with a relatively strong current impulse which if itcontinued would result in overheating of the coil, but which does nothave this result because of the short duration of the impulse.

The provision of the above-described play-free swingable support foreach armature means reliably prevents undesirable rebounding of thearmature means after it has been adjusted. Thus, the spring force whichaxially urges the bearing at one end of the shaft 7 toward the bearingat the other end thereof provides in a highly reliable manner a constantplay-free seating for the ends of the shaft means 7 to eliminate anypossibility of play and rebounding.

It is to be noted that with the structure of the invention the patterndevice is mechanically very simple and can easily be added to existingmachines which initially were designed for mechanically actuated patterndevices. The pattern device of the invention is not subject to anyfaulty operation and can be constructed and operated in 7 a practicallymaintenance-free manner, while at the same time being capable of beingencased in a dust-tight manner within a suitable enclosure.

Furthermore, with the structure of the invention it is possible tocontrol either cylinder needles or dial needles. When controllingcylinder needles the several armature means of the invention can bearranged one above the other along the outer casing of the needlecylinder, while in the case of dial needles the turning axes of theseveral armature means of the invention can be vertically arranged oneafter the other.

The pattern device of the invention is constructed in such a way that achange of the cam-controlling system and the control plate arrangementin known mechanical Jacquard pattern devices having pin wheels is notrequired. An electromechanically operating pattern device which isoperated by a punched tape, a film strip, a magnetic strip or the like,which feeds signals to the programming device can be provided onexisting machines which originally were provded with mechanicalpatterning structures for the circular knitting machine.

What is claimed is:

1. In a pattern device for a circular knitting machine rotaryneedle-carrier means carrying needle-controling plates whichrespectively have pattern feet which respectively move alongpredetermined paths during rotation of said rotary needle-carrier meansa plurality of armature means for respectively coacting withpredetermined groups of said feet for controlling the positions of saidplates each armature means having one end for engaging a pattern foot ofa control plate and an opposed end distant therefrom support meanssupporting each armature means for swinging movement about a given axisbetween its opposed ends permanent magnet means having a pair of opposedpermanent magnets with like poles respectively directed toward the poleshoes of each electromagnet carried by each armature means at saidopposed end thereof and a plurality of electromagnets respectivelycoacting with said permanent magnet means of said armature means eachelectromagnet having a pair of opposed pole shoes between which apermanent magnet means is located and each electromagnet having anexciting coil adapted to be supplied with direct current so that inaccordance with the direction of flow of the direct current one or theother of the pole shoes will be excited to attract said permanent magnetmeans of each armature means whereby a single impulse of direct currentwill displace each armature means from one position to another positionwhile after the impulse of current terminates the permanent magnet meanswill serve to stably maintain the armature in a position to which it hasbeen displaced.

2. The combination of claim 1 and wherein said support means supportseach armature means for swinging movement without play.

3. The combination of claim 2 and wherein each armature means has a pairof opposed portions beyond which a pair of shaft portions respectivelyextend along said axis and said support means including bearing engagingsaid shaft portions at outer extremeties thereof to support said shaftportions for rotary movement without play said support means pressingone bearing axially toward the other.

4. The combination of claim 3 and wherein one of the shaft portions ofeach armature means is received in a stationary bearing of said supportmeans and the other end portion being mounted in an axially shiftablebearing of said support means and spring means coacting with saidaxially shiftable bearing of said support means for urging the lattertoward the other part thereof.

5. The combination of claim 4 and wherein an adjusting means coacts withsaid spring means for adjusting the force thereof.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 29,224 7/ 1860 Planer et al.613,178 10/1898 Unz. 1,748,734 2/1930 SchI'Oyer. 2,558,455 6/ 1951Novak. 3,365,916 1/1968 Ribler et al. 66-50 3,461,690 8/1969 Martinetzet al. 6650 FOREIGN PATENTS 461,939 12/1949 Canada.

24,031 10/1 962 Germany. 381,282 10/ 1964 Switzerland.

OTHER REFERENCES German Printed Application No. 1,173,609; Schaeder etal.; June 1964.

WM. CARTER REYNOLDS, Primary Examiner US. Cl. X.R. 308-159, 230

